SPRINGFIELD -The city's first homicide of the year came early Wednesday morning when a 22-year-old man was shot in the head while sitting at the bar at the Mardi Gras strip club downtown.

Police were summoned to the 91 Taylor St. club shortly before 1:30 a.m. and discovered the victim inside, police said.

The victim was identified as Jose E. Colon, of 70 Harrison Ave., Apt. 1102, according to Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

Police and ambulance crews performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the victim at the scene, after which he was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he was pronounced dead just before 2 a.m., police said.